American Military University

I cannot say enough positive things about my experience with AMU. I decided to attend AMU because of the freedom it allowed me to go to school while also having a busy life outside of school. I was a single mother and active duty military while I worked on my degree and my professors were amazing at working with my schedule when I had required training. Furthermore, the classes I took were excellent. Each class imparted knowledge that I have maintained and I felt like I was a part of a great community of fellow classmates. AMU generally cares about each of their students and it shows! You wont be sorry going to AMU :)

I completed my BA in History with AMU. AMU gave me the flexibility to manage my time wisely with my education and life. The assignments and timelines were challenging, but achievable. If you are a motivated self-starter, value your time, like the idea of drinking your coffee in your pajamas, and going to school online, then this school is for you. You will be challenged and instructed by professors from a wide range of back grounds who are highly educated from different accredited univesities and that have real life experience to keep you challenged. I highly recommend AMU!

This is for everyone who is wondering if grad schools will accept you if you've earned your BA from AMU - the answer is YES. I completed my BA in History at AMU, and have just been accepted to a brick and mortar university for an MA in history. So go for it!

AMU's BA in history is above average. I am in my last semester of a BA in History at AMU, and have been extremely satisfied with my studies here. The history program is by far more detailed and focused than any other college I initially researched, and I was not disappointed. The professors come from a wide variety of backgrounds, specialty fields, and locations, which prevents the university from having a regional/political bias. The workload required is very heavy, and students must be self-motivated in order to keep up grades. I have also attended two other brick-and-mortar colleges, and the academics at AMU have been much more demanding than either of them. The amount of research and writing required is an excellent foundation for any career in history, and much greater skill, understanding, and quality was expected in these research papers than at my other colleges, both in the material presented and in professional formatting. AMU's history department is top quality, and my advice is: do not hesitate in enrolling here, it has been a truly rewarding and vastly informative experience!

I started my history BA with what many would call a more prestigious brick-and-mortar university a few years ago. Once I moved to another state, that brick-and-mortar school wanted to charge me an outrageous amount of money (almost three times what I had previously paid) in out-of-state tuition expense for the privilege of taking their online courses that, in my opinion, weren't up to par with what they offered in residence. I thought it over and decided I wasn't going to pay more than double the money for course selections that were only half as good online as their in-residence offerings. After researching various transfer options, I decided to finish my history degree with AMU. All of their courses are online, so no one is charged an out-of-state tuition rate, and they have a wonderful variety of history courses. I've read some of the reviews that implied AMU is a degree mill and that the professors are clueless. I've done more writing with AMU than I did with the other university, and I agree with another student's comment that this is like an English class on steroids. Most of my history instructors are fairly fluent with Chicago Manual of Style, and if my papers aren't in compliance, I lose points. Poor instructors aren't limited to AMU; every university has them. It pays to do your research to see what program fits best with your goals.

I am two semesters away from graduating with a BA in History from AMU. It has been a very rewarding experience. I was hesitant to attend this school at first because of the "degree mill" slogan going around about it, but I have found that is not at all true. I previously earned an AAS degree, and my friends who have attended brick and mortar schools agree with me, that AMU requires much more personal investment from the student. You have to be dedicated and put your best work into it. The professors are generally very knowledgable and demanding. You will learn an incredible amount of information in each eight weeks of classes, and have to stay on top of the game to succeed. The amount of reading and writing required is sometimes hard to manage, but makes you really learn the topics far more thoroughly than just sitting through a lecture. I am completely satisfied with my experience thus far, and to any prospective students I would say: Don't listen to the "degree mill" thing. AMU is a great college, and you will get out of it what you put in. I am saving all my work to show to any future employer who might discredit my degree just from the college - it should be proof enough, since it's about three times the work required from a brick and mortar school. AMU makes you work for your learning, and it is well worth it!

The History Program at AMU was outstanding. Not only is there a variety of classes, but most of the professors have a wealth of experience in their respective field. With only a rare exception, every professor that I came across was engaged and helpful. Some classes were certainly more challenging (side note: I took all of my classes in 8-week increments), but I never felt overwhelmed. After transferring from another university, I took 60 credits in 4 semesters while working a full-time job and taking care of a family and never felt pressed for time. The books selected for most courses are excellent and some of them compliment each other when it comes time to write papers and take exams. Bottom line: This an excellent program with an excellent staff. If you can organize yourself, have an interest in history, and are looking for a program that will both allow you to specialize in the field of history while also challenge you to take some classes that you might have passed over, this program is an excellent option.

I have just completed my degree in history with a minor in criminal justice. I had attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, I have nothing against UNL except for the fact that it was not for me. I wanted more one-on-one communication with professors, which you cannot get sitting in a lecture hall with 200 other students. There were no requirements for actually attending class daily, unlike AMU which requires you to log in and be proactive in discussions. I also felt the education was better, I am able to discuss relevant events and moments in history and provide thoughtful and intelligent feedback. I recommend this institution to those who need to work full-time and want a quality education. I have no regrets and am proud to list AMU on my resume. Thank you and best of luck to those beginning their educational adventures!

I have been attending AMU since Late 2008. I have taken time off here and there and will be 13 classes away from graduating in June 2013. I am very excited. I love AMU and the structure. It is so easy to transition back into once taking some time off. I love that the classes start every month and so you can really go to school on your schedule. I have had the flexibility of going part time and full time. I am a GI Bill recipient and I am so blessed to have this school. It was recommended to me when I was getting ready to leave for Afghanistan. I took 3 classes my first quarter and it has proved to be the best virtual education I could ever receive. I would recommend this school to anyone who works, has children, has a full schedule, or is just looking to take a class or two here and there. You wont be disappointed.

The instructors are generally of high quality, except sometimes you get the occasional slacker. Poor communication and individualized attention. The library is still a mystery in many respects, even after a tutorial. Dr Robert Owens in HIST 402 was one of the best professors that I have had, he was always available. My current instructor is a full-time teacher an another institution and relies purely on the syllabus. Know office hours either.

I was not sure I wanted to attend an on-line, for-profit school, but now that I am in the process of finishing my last class for a Bachelor's in History with a concentration in 18th to mid-19th century America, I am glad I chose AMU. Mos classes have been difficult, but not impossible, and like most schools, there have been a couple that were quite easy. Overall, the professors have been excellent, and again, like most schools, there have been a couple that have left a bit to be desired. Now that I am close to finishing, would I make the same choice again -- yes. I plan to pursue a Master's in Revolutionary War Studies with a Certificate in Civil War Studies at AMU beginning later this year.

I am currently still pursuing my degree. However, my experiences over the last year and a half have been very positive. Instructors are very interactive with students and give appropriate feedback. I like the physical books on-hand and don't particularly like the online books, but all in all it is a great university and is geared to help the military and the families of military members. While on the go the online books are very useful, but while at home I prefer a hard copy. I would recommend the university to anyone interested in pursuing their academic goals.

Just observations, not complaints. It would appear that AMU has set itself up as the defacto university for the Military. The costs are very affordable, there are many policies in place that support a service lifestyle and all that entails. In that respect AMU is very good. Shortly into my degree, I noticed that despite the words, some of the instructors aren't that engaged. This maybe due to them holding down day jobs and working for AMU in the evenings? If so, that's understandable. This might be a personality type thing but it seemed to be a theme I encountered more and more. Also, the tests aren't proctored and, in some cases, not timed. This tends to make them ineffective as far as testing knowledge. I'm not griping, I'm just making observations that some others might find important when looking at online education. Just to summarize: The price is right, the offerings are substantial, the reputation is constantly building and, the staff and faculty do appear interested in the individual's success.

I am currently enrolled in AMU in there B.A. in History degree. I have attended a "Brick and Mortar" college in the past. Keeping those points short, I can continue to my current experience with this University. I have had a couple of problems with AMU, none too dissimilar from those who posted negative comments here. I have taken 5 classes and withdrew from my 6th course. Within the first five courses there were a few issues that arose that were aggravating but none that were real "deal-breakers" for me. The first course (COLL100) was one that I initially felt I did not need to take. I am 35 years old, have attended college before, and have been doing online research for years; taking this course seemed to be a waste of time for me. However, once I put my ego aside and committed to the course, I found it actually very informative. Granted, from an academic learning standpoint, it was useless, but I did learn how to assess my learning habits and it helped me develop a routine for successfully navigating my online learning experience. I did take issue with one instructor for his lack of activity in the Discussion Boards but my grade was not effected because of this. I actually ended up having quite a discussion with him (course related) through emails. I did have one instructor who's computer did not meet the schools minimum technical requirements and, thus, had to adapt my assignments to formats that met the instructor's computer capabilities. These were aggravations, but did not I did not hold the school responsible for this. The materials in these courses has been challenging and assignments have been, overall, demanding. The sixth course (the one I withdrew from) was an entirely different "beast". The instructor set very high demands on grammar and format, yet her syllabus and online writing was atrocious. As a student, I was informed that I would be marked down one point for every grammatical and format error, yet she did not seem to hold herself to the same standard. The class also had "weird" deadlines that were very different from my previous classes. We had assignment deadlines on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday with some assignments to be turned in on a Monday following "X" week. The schedule she laid out would put me in front of the computer just about everyday and, I felt, this was a bit too demanding. So I dropped the class and will take it under a different instructor at a later time. I really do not feel that I would have any different experience with any other college. Overall, I am satisfied with the materials and the school. I agree there is definite room for improvement, but that seems to be consistent with every school I have researched. The price of this school and my overall experience (so far) is the reason that I recommend this school to friends. Thanks J.D. Current Student

While I agree with the one review of '5th grade' level education from a conceptual point, I disagree with his overall review. The faculty do not have the pleasure of adjusting their syllabus, therefor the responsibility to adjust workload/tests/etc falls on the curriculum developers. He is right in regards to the tests, and I laughed at the comments about discussion boards because I can relate. I also agree that a placement exam MUST be instituted for all online schools (currently there are almmost none). This would weed out students who are simply not cut out for higher education - and yes, there is such a thing. However, I do not think this makes the school any less valuable. Many of the shortfalls experienced at AMU can be found in nearly all schools (including brick and mortar). From sport jocks forced through despite lack of ability to inept teachers. There are likewise many classes that are 'easy' at such schools. I would however prefer to see final papers for classes rather than open book exams which assess nothing other than my ability to read. All in all, AMU is one of the best online schools, and a decent school all together.

At first I thought the complainers here were just idiots who couldn’t follow the school’s policies and procedures. But after completing 6 classes I began to realize how overrated the education really is at AMU. The instructors provided simple, cookie-cutter questions that any average 5th grader could answer. Of the 15 books that were assigned for my classes, I never cracked one open and yet I received an ‘A’ in 5 of my classes. The mid-term and final exams were never proctored and the instructors never gave less than a week to complete the exams. Even more surprising, my assignments were never adequately addressed; my personal feedback seemed very general and could’ve been written for any student. Though many of the instructors are experts in their fields, it seems they hold primary jobs at brick & mortar schools and work here for extra income. For those who disagree, just do a little research. Unfortunately, because placement testing is not required for enrollment at AMU, I would say that over half of the students I encountered couldn’t string more than two grammatical sentences. As part of the standard workload, students are required each week to answer Discussion Board questions and in turn respond to their classmates’ work. It was very frustrating at times to co-exist with students who have little or no basic analytical skills. Could AMU improve its education system? Sure, especially if AMU itself believed that “education is what you put into it.” If AMU delivered both asynchronous and synchronous learning, then perhaps the bar could be raised. Some possible improvements: mandatory placement testing; web conferencing tools to help build better communities (live meetings, face to face); pre-recorded video lectures on all classes; ALL exams to be proctored and timed (no open books). Otherwise it’s too easy to attain a 4.0 GPA and hard not to feel guilty about it later. Before I transferred with an A.A degree, I had some experience with online classes at a community college, but those classes required proctored exams and only 3 hours to complete – not all week with an open book. For obvious reasons, I cannot recommend AMU as a means of gaining a higher education. I understand this institution is regionally accredited, but what is accreditation without quality education? It’s a no-brainer.

This school is great. I took classes well deployed to OIF and they were both outstanding. The instructors are great and very understanding to the military lifestyle. Also, if you go on thier website and read the instructor's credentials, they are on par with any brick and mortar university and many are proffesors at other top schools. The system is user friendly and forces you to learn. No class is easy, and I always learn. Would reccomend to anyone. The staff is very helpful and the book grant is GREAT. Alot of online schools are more concerned about getting your money than getting you an education. AMU has shown me that they do care about the student and learning.

I strongly recomend AMU. I have had nothing but positive experiences there. I cannot speak to the finance department as some others have complained about here, but for military students there is no better bet. AMU has been helpful with any situation I have had come up and the classes put forth some great knowledge I am happy to have. When I signed up for a sociology class toward the begining of my degree I thought I could BS my way through the class. Not true. I had to put out a lot of effort but in return I learned a ton of information. The prices fall in line with military TA, however if they were a little cheaper you could take more classes per fiscal year, but if the military gave us more money we could take more classes as well. That is certainly not a fault of the University, after all every college needs to make money. Several people have had negative things to about the Intro. to online learning class. While I was an adult learner and already had a good idea of how to learn, this class was interesting to me, it put some new ideas out there I hadn't thought of before. Overall a great school with much to offer.